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YouTube Haven for Striking Writers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Videos,
It looks like the Writers Strike will keep going for a while, but we have found that you just can’t keep a good writer down. Those from “The Office” produce “The Office is Closed,” and fans, like those for John Stewart and Stephen Colbert, offer pleas to settle. There are even viral spoofs, such as this one by National Lampoon. Our favorite has to be by the writers of The Simpsons, who come out of their animated closet. How ironic that the very medium they are fighting over has in fact become the battlefield.
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Party Politics and the Writer’s Strike
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Daytime, Prime Time, Specials, Talk Shows, ABC, CBS, 24, Desperate Housewives, House, News,
This is how it works. The Writer’s Guild of America has gone on strike. For most of us, this means that shows like House, 24, Desperate Housewives and a whole host of others won’t be on the air. But the writer’s strike has a bigger effect, and not just on our TV watching. Not only will this strike begin to effect the economy, but now it’s affecting the future of our nation. Because when party politics mixes with a writer’s strike, no one gets to benefit.
Let’s talk about Democrats. Support for unions is one of the bedrocks of the Democratic party – in fact, no self-respecting Democratic politician would ever be seen crossing a picket line. And right now, there are plenty of picket lines in front of TV studios. How does it affect you? If you’ve been looking forward to another Democratic primary Presidential debate (and there’s one scheduled December 10), you may wind up disappointed. Hosted by CBS News, this particular debate was scheduled many months in advance. But the Democratic contenders who will appear in the debate absolutely will not cross a picket line. That’s party politics.
Click to continue reading Party Politics and the Writer’s Strike
Hollywood Reporter
The Price of Striking Writers
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Late Night, Mini Series, Prime Time, News,
The writer’s strike is still going strong, though new negotiations are scheduled to begin next week. That’s a really good thing, too, considering how expensive all these picket lines are getting. If the strike continues into next month, it’s projected that LA will lose $20 million – per day. It won’t just affect our TV watching and give a real boost to reality shows, it will actually hurt the economy of the entertainment-based city.
For those who forgot, the disputing writer’s guild wants to split more revenue with the Alliance of Producers, who don’t want to give it up. That’s what’s been keeping the picket lines going. The last strike, by the way, lasted 22 weeks and cost right around $500 million, all told.
LA Times
Daytime TV Hosts Forging Past Picket Lines
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, Syndication, Oprah Winfrey Show, Gossip, News,
The writers’ strike is still raging on, but several notable daytime TV hosts don’t seem to care. At least, they are walking through the picket lines to continue with their work. The writers’ guild has publicly rebuked Ellen DeGeneres for these actions, though she is not the only host to walk past the strikers. Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray are also keeping their shows going, so The Ellen DeGeneres Show still has some ratings competition.
Ellen has canceled some New York shows, but her studio in LA remains open. DeGeneres says she’s remaining open to support her staff, as a mind-boggling 135 individuals depend upon her show’s production to keep their own paychecks coming. Her actions, however, and the actions of other daytime hosts, are not endearing to striking writers.
AOL News
‘Family Guy’ Continues Without Show’s Creator
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Animation, Comedy, FOX, 24, Family Guy, House, News,
FOX has been hit especially hard by the writers’ strike, and already some big ratings shows are off the schedule. There will be no 24, no more House, and all the network’s scripted shows are pretty much up in the air. So, FOX is going to go it alone.
Though Family Guy creator and voice talent Seth MacFarlane is on the picket line with the other writers, the network is producing new episodes of the hit animated comedy without his input. (Last Sunday’s episode was the last episode completed pre-strike.) Although MacFarlane told FOX they could continue the show without his him, he hoped they would not. Unfortunately, that’s just what they’re doing. Best of luck.
MacFarlane, by the way, voices main characters Peter Griffin, dog Brian and homicidal son Stewie.
Yahoo!
Director Attached to ‘Friday the 13th’ Remake
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Horror, Sequels, Upcoming Releases,
As we mentioned before, Hollywood is planning yet another classic horror film remake. Now we have a name attached to the latest redo. Marcus Nispel, the power behind the 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is in talks to do the same thing with the Friday the 13th franchise.
This time, the story will focus more on Jason and not his mother (as the first Friday did). In other words, they’re going to change the story. While millions of B-movie horror fans will be disappointed, new fans will be created. With the current writer’s strike raging on with no end in sight, fans can expect to see a lot of these new remakes making their way to theaters. Great.
The new Friday movie will begin production sometime this winter.
Yahoo!
‘Lost’ Returns to TV and Web
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Sci-Fi/Horror, ABC, Lost, Internet, News,
Fans stunned by last May’s Lost cliffhanger have been chompin’ at the bit waiting for a new season to begin. For their patience, they were promised an uninterrupted 16 weeks of episodes come 2008. Of course, the current writers strike had many wondering if their show’s status was in jeopardy.
Although some may fans may not like how ABC has decided to resolve this issue, others will probably be grateful they have something - anything - to look forward to at this point. The network could have opted to shelve their unfinished season (like FOX recently did with 24); they have instead chosen to air the finished eight episodes. In other words, viewers will get only half of what was originally promised. The good news? Co-creator and executive producer Damon Lindelof says the eighth episode does come with its own cliffhanger. The bad news? Lindelof admits the planned story arc may have to adjust accordingly.
So until Season Four kicks off sometime this February, fans will have mini-teasers to tide them over. ABC’s website will soon begin posting weekly vignettes featuring characters from the show. The episodes - each only a few minutes long - are separately shot videos that somehow belong into the much larger Lost puzzle. You can find the first ‘mobisode’ starting this Monday (November 12th).
E! Online
Alternatives For Late Night TV
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Late Night, Reality, Talk Shows, Cable, FX, MTV, Editorial,
It’s only been a full work week since Hollywood’s writers went on strike, and already it seems the days of great late night talk programs are long gone. The last time the writer’s guild went on strike, it lasted an agonizingly long 22 weeks. Without Colbert, Stewart, Letterman and Leno, how is American supposed to get its satirical, tongue-in-cheek twists on current events?
With a shortage of new scripts and a hiatus of many major shows, more Americans are now channel-surfing to find an entertainment fix. What they’ll find is a mishmash of reality TV - those wonderfully unscripted programs that are always there in the event of a script shortage. Channels like Travel, Discovery, Animal Planet and the Food Network are largely unaffected by the strike, though how MTV (and channels like it) will continue with their staged reality programs is anyone’s guess.
Instead of watching repeats on network TV, turn to these cable channels as the midnight hour approaches. Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, E!, FX, The History Channel, and VH1 are among those still offering brand-new episodes. It’s better than re-runs.
MSNBC
FOX Suffering Symptoms of Strike
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, FOX, 24, American Idol, House, News,
FOX is already making changes to their schedule, and we’re only three days into the writers strike. The intense drama 24 has been pulled from the schedule, as fewer than half the season’s 24 scripts have been written. But that’s not the only problem FOX is about to have with their programming. Big ratings-grabber House is about to run out of scripts, pushing the reality show Hell’s Kitchen into the cushy post-American Idol time slot in April. Two other FOX shows, the new Back to You and ‘Til Death, have also shut down for the season.
Yahoo! News
Writers Strike: Changes For ‘24’ and ‘Prison Break’
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Drama, Prime Time, FOX, 24, Prison Break, News,
The writers strike will obviously be doing a number to all the network schedules. Here are two big highlights announced today by FOX:
Not wanting to interrupt 24 only halfway through its day, the execs have decided to delay its premiere altogether. Season 7 had been scheduled to start Jan. 13/14; now the debut is on indefinite hold. If nothing else, maybe this will allow Kiefer Sutherland to serve his entire jail sentence all at once.
Speaking of jail, the boys at Prison Break will now be returning to the airwaves sooner than expected. The show was originally slated to end its fall run on Dec. 17th and return April 14th; it will now start its Christmas break after Nov. 12’s episode then return on Jan. 14th.
TV Guide
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